CLEVELAND, Ohio – There is no official fall TV kickoff date, but you can go ahead and mark your calendars for the first Sunday in September.

HBO's "Boardwalk Empire" will begin its fifth and final season on Sunday, Sept. 7. That precedes the final season premiere of "Sons of Anarchy" the following Tuesday.

The fall TV season will be off and running at that point with season premieres of shows like "New Girl," "The Big Bang Theory," "The Good Wife," "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." and more in the coming weeks.

This coming TV season is shaping up to be one of the more interesting in recent memory. With new technology, the lines between television, film and streaming have blurred more than ever.

Here's how to make sure you're in the know before some of this season's biggest premieres:

"Gotham"

Fox has a lot of confidence in its Batman prequel series "Gotham." The network is putting it up against ratings juggernaut "The Big Bang Theory" on Sept. 22. A few films have already touched on the origin stories surrounding Bruce Wayne and James Gordon, but "Gotham" offers the most in-depth perspective yet. The best way to warm up for "Gotham" is to watch Christopher Nolan's "Batman Begins." However, it's probably worth it to watch any of the Batman movies (including the awful ones) as "Gotham" will also tackle the origin stories of characters like the Joker, the Penguin, Harvey Dent and Mr. Freeze.

"Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."

Somewhat like "Gotham," "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." is tied into a movie and comic book universe. If you haven't seen "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," you'll probably be a little lost during the second season of ABC's show, which premieres Sept. 23. Agent Phil Coulson will spend much of the season rebuilding S.H.I.E.L.D. due of the events that occurred in the "Captain America" sequel. You can purchase a digital copy of "The Winter Soldier" on Amazon.com or iTunes.

"Sons of Anarchy"

Jax Teller, the leader of the biker gang on FX's popular show "Sons of Anarchy," is probably the most compelling major character of the upcoming TV season. He's certainly the most likely to die. The build-up to "SOA's" final season has been epic and there's still time for you to catch up with a timely binge session. The sixth season of the show won't be on Netflix for another month or two (the previous five are). However, you can watch the entire season on Amazon Instant Video for $34.99. The DVD arrives for the same price on Aug. 26.

"Red Band Society"

"Red Band Society" is a dramedy about the lives of teenagers in a hospital ward that premieres on Sept. 17 on Fox. The show stars Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer and is an adaptation of a well-received Catalan TV show called "Polseres vermelles" (translation: "The Red Band Society"). If you're curious, you can actually watch "Polseres vermelles" on YouTube with subtitles.

"Constantine"

Though solid, Keanu Reeves' 2005 film "Constantine" wasn't exactly the most memorable film. Yet, it was solid enough to inspire a TV series of the same name. Like the film, the series, which premieres on Oct. 24 on NBC, is based on characters in the popular "Hellblazer" series from DC Comics. Little-known actor Matt Ryan will take on the title role. The movie is worth a watch to gain some perspective.

"The Walking Dead"

AMC does as good a job as any network promoting its flagship shows and none is bigger than "The Walking Dead." Season 5 premieres on Oct. 12. You can watch the first three seasons of cable's most popular show on Netflix right now. Expect the fourth season to pop up on the streaming service at some point in September.

"Once Upon a Time"

If you're a fan of "Once Upon a Time" and somehow have managed to avoid seeing "Frozen," you may want to change that. The show's fourth season, which premieres on Sept. 28, will feature characters from Disney's record-breaking film, including Elsa, who appeared in the third season finale.

What fall TV premiere are you most looking forward to? Tell us in the comments section.

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